Devices are generally manufactured with particular features and functions that meet the particular requirements of customers. However, this can be a costly undertaking, especially where a wide variety of features and functions are available and customer preferences are equally diverse. To make a new line of devices that have the features or perform the functions according to each customer's specification would require a process involving additional design time and manufacture set up, and such a process would lack many of the efficiencies that result from economies of scale. Under these circumstances, such a customized solution may be impractical.
In addition, even if such a customized solution is implemented, it still lacks the flexibility to permit modification (e.g., enabling or disabling) of particular features or functions as customer needs change. Thus, a customer who would like to enable or to disable a particular feature or function would have to purchase another new line of devices that are designed and manufactured to incorporate the modifications.
On the other hand, a device with all of the available features and functions enabled might not necessarily meet the requirements of most customers. For example, some customers might not have the advanced systems capable of handling devices enabled with the highest levels of security or encryption. Accordingly, such a solution still would lack flexibility. Furthermore, a device with all of the available features and functions enabled may be more costly than most customers would be willing to pay.
Further limitations and disadvantages of conventional and traditional approaches will become apparent to one of skill in the art, through comparison of such systems with the present invention as set forth in the remainder of the present application with reference to the drawings.
What is needed, therefore, is a device that, for example, permits a customer to conveniently enable or disable allowed features and functions, but that also prohibits a customer from enabling non-allowed features and functions, in a cost efficient and secure manner.